Lincoln Police Say 2022 Is Already the Worst Year in Five for Gun Violence

Lincoln has seen more gun assaults and shooting victims in 2022 than in any of the previous five years, and the year still has three months to go, according to the Lincoln Police Department.

Rising violence has become a concern for both residents and law enforcement. A recent run of shootings and homicides has been a major focus for the department, which spoke about public worries during a press conference on a homicide case.

"They have concerns, and we have concerns as well about the violence in our city," Assistant Chief Jason Stille said. "Looking at the trailing five years, this is the most shooting incidents and shooting victims that we've had."

As of the date of the report, police had logged 90 reports of shootings and shots fired in Lincoln this year. That figure is nearly 40% higher than at the same point in 2021.

Police Chief Teresa Ewins pointed to gang activity as one factor behind the numbers. "We also have to look at the fact that a lot of these shootings were gang-related," she said. She added that anger between people should not be settled with a gun. "People's anger towards each other, it cannot always be about grabbing a firearm. That can't be the solution."

Stille said the department cannot address the problem alone. "This is a community problem, and we need to handle it as a community," he said. "So we will do our part, but we need people to come forward and help us out."

The recent homicides have kept investigators especially busy, according to Capt. Ben Miller of the department's criminal investigations unit. He said the caseload has cost his team sleep, though he praised their work. "They've been working really hard, and certainly, it becomes frustrating when these things continue to go on," Miller said.

Police acknowledged they do not have a clear solution. They said they need the public's cooperation, specifically by securing personal firearms and by passing along any information about unsolved cases.

Ewins said prevention is the goal. "If we can stop that violence from even happening before we know it's going to happen, then that's a huge win," she said.